◆ Pacific League Rakuten Eagles: Rakuten vs. Nippon-Ham (June 6th, Rakuten Eagles Mobile is the strongest team)

Rakuten Eagles 's pitcher Kenta Maeda (38) started the game against Nippon-Ham.

He got off to a strong start. After getting the leadoff Castro to grounder to short, Gunji then missed struck out. With two outs, he got Kiyomiya out to second and closer runs no.

The right-handed pitcher has returned to NPB after 11 years. As of before this game, he has started three games this season, with a record of 0 wins and 2 losses and an ERA of 5.56. In his last start on April 29, he struggled against Lotte, giving up 7 hit 5 runs in 5 innings. The veteran said, "I wasn't very good last time, so I've been making minor adjustments to my form to avoid repeating the same mistakes. I think I've made adjustments so that I can take the mound in the best condition I can." He is aiming for a win after making these adjustments.

He faced Nippon-Ham Fighters' lineup at home on April 7th. "They're a team with hitters who can hit for power and a lot of home run. I think it's necessary to be very careful when pitching," he said.

If they secure win, it will be their first win in 3,869 days, since their game against the Chunichi on October 2, 2015 (at Mazda Stadium).